lady. At this period of the family glory the
archdeacon himself was kept a little in abeyance, and was hardly
allowed free intercourse with his own magnificent child. Indeed, to
give him his due, it must be said of him that he would not consent
to walk in the triumphal procession which moved with stately step,
to and fro, through the Barchester regions. He kissed his daughter
and blessed her, and bade her love her husband and be a good wife;
but such injunctions as these, seeing how splendidly she had done
her duty in securing to herself a marquess, seemed out of place and
almost vulgar. Girls about to marry curates or sucking barristers
should be told to do their duty in that station of life to which God
might be calling them; but it seemed to be almost an impertinence in
a father to give such an injunction to a future marchioness.

"I do not think that you have any ground for fear on her behalf,"
said Mrs. Grantly, "seeing in what way she has hitherto conducted
herself."

"She has been a good girl," said the archdeacon, "but she is about
to be placed in a position of great temptation."

"She has a strength of mind suited for any position," replied Mrs.
Grantly, vaingloriously. But nevertheless even the archdeacon moved
about through the close at Barchester with a somewhat prouder step
since the tidings of this alliance had become known there. The time
had been--in the latter days of his father's lifetime--when he was
the greatest man of the close. The dean had been old and infirm, and
Dr. Grantly had wielded the bishop's authority. But since that things
had altered. A new bishop had come there, absolutely hostile to
him. A new dean had also come, who was not only his friend, but the
brother-in-law of his wife; but even this advent had lessened the
authority of the archdeacon. The vicars choral did not hang upon
his words as they had been wont to do, and the minor canons smiled
in return to his smile less obsequiously when they met him in
the clerical circles of Barchester. But now it seemed that his
old supremacy was restored to him. In the minds of many men an
archdeacon, who was the father-in-law of a marquess, was himself
as good as any bishop. He did not say much of his new connexion
to others beside the dean, but he was conscious of the fact, and
conscious also of the reflected glory which shone around his own
head.

But as regards Mrs. Grantly it may be said that she moved in an
unending procession of stat